The Stroke of Midnight
by HYPERFocused
Summary: It was nearly midnight, New Year's Eve, and Clark couldn't stop thinking about Lex, and the plans he thought they'd had for tonight. He was going to make sure he and Lex were together when the clock struck midnight.slash


disclaimer: I don't own Clark Kent, or Lex Luthor. They are fictional characters, much like Dick Clark. (as reasonable explanation for his longevity as anything). I make no profit from any of them.  
  
Feedback is better than champagne. It makes me bubbly and giddy, and doesn't give me a headache.  
  
http://www.livejournal.com/users/hyperfocused/  
  
***  
  
It was nearly midnight, New Year's Eve, and Clark couldn't stop thinking about Lex, and the plans he thought they'd had for tonight. He was going to make sure he and Lex were together when the clock struck midnight. He'd imagined what it would be like to kiss him. He pictured that scar in his sleep. What he hadn't pictured was Lex, seemingly enthralled by another pretty brunette.   
  
Clark was jealous, watching Lex escort his date around the hotel's ballroom. Plain old garden variety green with envy. He couldn't blame the meteor rocks for this. He couldn't even blame Lex. It wasn't like Clark had told him how he felt. He wasn't that brave yet. He was invulnerable, not stupid. Clark hoped for a shot of courage before the year was out. He just blamed the admittedly lovely 'Helen', who was currently hanging on Lex's Armani clad arm. She looked pretty happy to be there.   
  
Lex on the other hand, just looked bored. Clark couldn't tell if it was the affected ennui of someone who usually had something better to do on New Year's Eve, or if it really was Helen, failing to keep his interest. He hoped it was the latter.   
  
Clark watched as Lex took Helen by the wrist, and led her to the dance floor. Decorated in LexCorp's colors, it looked festive enough for the end of the holiday season. He couldn't keep his eyes off the pair as they spun around the room. A waltz, he thought, with the rusty knowledge of a kid who'd spent seventh grade dancing lessons playing videogames in the rec hall next door.   
  
Feeling suddenly very young, and completely out of his league, he slipped out of the room, and into the icy parking lot. He didn't know what he had been thinking, Sure, Lex's invitation had *sounded* sincere, but maybe it had just been a gesture, a favor for his unsophisticated friend. Clark didn't belong at this party any more than his father belonged at the annual Lionel Luthor Appreciation Society dinner.   
  
Clark didn't know what he was going to do with himself for the two hours until it would be reasonable for him to go home. He knew his parents were staying in this year, and he didn't want to see how they'd be spending their New Year's Eve. X-ray vision made their anticipatory flirting all too obvious. It would be better if he stayed away. Besides, he didn't want to hear the "I told you so"s.  
  
***  
  
Lex was bored. In a room full of mostly loyal LexCorp employees, and a few other invited guests, there was only one person he truly wanted to be with, tonight. (And every other night, if he was going to be honest with himself, for once.) Helen was a beautiful woman, and a suitable date for the occasion, but they both knew they had no future together. He'd puked on her shoes, after all, and that probably took away most of the attraction he might have held for her. Not to mention, she was unimpressed by his money and status, which brought his appeal down to exactly zip. He thought he could consider her a friend, though. Just what he needed to bring a good impression at the first LexCorp New Year's Charity Bash.   
  
On the plus side, she was a terrific dancer, and Lex loved to dance. He was glad of the chance to practice what he'd learned as a boy. As much as he wanted to spend the evening close to Clark, he knew that wasn't feasible. Appearances were everything. At least he could plan to slip away with him when it got close to midnight. He'd imagined kissing Clark into the new year, ever since he woke up on that riverbank.   
  
He looked around the room, but couldn't find Clark anywhere. Maybe he'd snuck out to find himself a snack. Maybe he'd heard a distant siren, and went off to save some hapless victim. Lex didn't know, but he did know it was almost midnight. He excused himself from Helen's presence, and went to look for him.  
  
He spotted Clark, walking slowly down the parking lot, stopping at each of the ice covered automobiles, and staring intently at them. Lex didn't know what to make of that, nor of the fact that Clark had left without a coat. He didn't look cold, in fact, he seemed to be running a fever. His face was flushed, eyes a little glassy.  
  
"What are you doing out here, Clark?" he asked, grabbing a blanket from an unlocked car, and wrapping it around his friend.  
  
"I'm unfreezing locks until it's safe for me to go home." Clark mumbled, avoiding Lex's eyes.   
  
"You're unfreezing locks ... by looking at them? May I ask why?" Lex didn't *dare* ask how.  
  
"I didn't think I belonged in there ... you seemed pretty happy with her." Clark gestured at the party, where the crowd was getting louder, as the countdown got closer.  
  
"I wanted to ring in the new year with you, Clark. Not her." Lex said, as the clock struck. He was a little shocked to suddenly find Clark's arms wrapped around him, and Clark's tongue in his mouth. He could wait for the lock explanation, like the answer to everything else he wanted to know about Clark.  
  
Neither of them wanted to let go.   
  
"So, Lex..." Clark said, when they finally parted. "How would you like to ring in the new year in the mountain and Pacfic time zones, too?" He had a lot to explain to Lex, and sometimes, actions were better than words.   
  
The party guests could take care of themselves. They both had a lot of resolutions to make come true. 


End file.
